Book Deals: Week of July 22, 2013

Jul 22, 2013

Bryn Mawr Writing Prof to SMP The director of the creative writing program at Bryn Mawr College, Daniel Torday, sold his debut novel, The Last Flight of Poxl West, to Hilary Rubin Teeman at St. Martin’s Press. Rubin bought North American rights from agent Brettne Bloom at Kneerim, Williams & Bloom. The novel, set in the 1980s, is about a Jewish teenager growing up in Boston and his relationship with his uncle, a WWII hero and nonfiction author. Torday is a former editor at Esquire, and his novella, The Sensualist, won the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in the category of debut fiction. SMP is planning to publish Last Flight in 2015.

Nelson Heads to the ‘Clouds’ with Sobiech The mother of Zach Sobiech, a teenager whose YouTube rendition of his original song “Clouds” went viral shortly before he died of cancer at 18, sold a memoir to Thomas Nelson. Brian Hampton bought North American rights to Clouds, by Laura Sobiech, in a deal brokered by agent Jacqueline Flynn at Joelle Delbourgo Associates. Nelson is comparing the inspirational book to the megaseller The Last Lecture, and said it will give readers “the story behind the music and the boy behind the phenomenon.” Clouds is scheduled for May 2014, which is the first anniversary of Zach’s death.

Forbes Talks ‘Dollar’ at MHPTom Miller, executive editor at McGraw-Hill Professional, bought world rights to Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames’s Money: How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy—and What We Must Do About It. Agent Jim Hornfischer, at Hornfischer Literary Management, brokered the deal. MHP said the book will show how the unstable dollar is what’s largely responsible for the country’s current economic woes, and the authors will explain “why a gold-linked dollar is crucial to true global prosperity.” Forbes is the editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine and Ames is an economics writer.

Rodale Joins Culinary ‘Thug’ LifeAlex Postman at Rodale Books acquired a cookbook by the anonymous authors behind the popular, and lauded, blog Thug Kitchen. Agents Lauren Smythe, Richard Pine, and Kim Witherspoon, at Inkwell Management, represented the still-unnamed authors, selling U.S. rights to Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F**k. The blog, which delivers vegan recipes and healthy-living tips in a cheeky streetwise style, has received raves from Gwyneth Paltrow and Saveur magazine—Saveur named it Best New Food Blog 2013—and has more than 300,000 likes on Facebook. Rodale said the cookbook, which will include over 100 recipes, will offer what the blog’s fans want: “a bold, funny, accessible way to get their plant-based eating on.”

Medley Sells Memoir One of the Righteous Brothers is telling his story. Bill Medley sold The Time of My Life: A Righteous Memoir to Ben Schafer at Da Capo Press. Folio Literary Management’s Michael Harriott sold world rights in the deal, and the book, which Medley is writing with Mike Marino, is scheduled for spring 2014. Da Capo said Time will be “an unvarnished look at Medley’s personal triumphs and tragedies,” including his thoughts on his tumultuous relationship with, and the death of, Bobby Hatfield, the other member of the Righteous Brothers; he will also reveal details about his close relationship with Elvis. Medley’s hit songs include “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Time is scheduled for a spring 2014 release.

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